How do you know that the "abomination that causes desolation," to which Jesus referred in Matthew 24:15, will pertain to the third temple?

Ted's Response:

You seem to embrace some fundamental views of of Preterism, with which I disagree. Look again at these two verses:

"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:2,3).

On the contrary, I see no reason why there should be any separation, in the disciples' question, between the destruction of the temple and the end of the age. John indicated that the end-time (third) temple of God, along with its altar, will be measured; and it also is seen that the Gentiles (probably Islam) will trample on the holy city (Jerusalem) for 42 months (Revelation 11:1,2)—the second half of the 70th Week.

If the enemies of the Jews are going to trample on Jerusalem during this time, and if the city is going to be captured and buildings ransacked (Zechariah 14:2), why would they spare the third temple—the center of Judaism, which they hate? Why would they not, in a rage, tear down every stone of that temple during the destruction of Jerusalem?

The primary purpose of the disciples' inquiry was to learn about end-time events. Jesus proceeded to answer them accordingly In fact, Jesus' Olivet Discourse is a direct parallel of John's description of the opening of the first six seals of the heavenly scroll (see Parallels Between the Six Seals and the Olivet Discourse).

I realize that the Preterist view maintains that the seal events, described by John in Revelation, already have taken place. Similarly, they want to force the "abomination that causes desolation" to have taken place at the destruction of the second temple in 70 A.D. I simply, emphatically disagree with all of these premises.

In his mentioning the abomination that causes desolation, Jesus referred to that which had been spoken through the prophet Daniel (Matthew 24:15):

He will confirm a covenant with many for one "seven." In the middle of the "seven" he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Daniel 9:27).

On the other hand, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), an agreement implemented by the European Union (which, I believe, is the western "leg" of the revived Roman Empire—see ten toes and horns), was funded and established in October 2006. In essence, it is a confirmation and strengthening of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EuroMed) covenant of 1995.

The ENP involves many nations, including Israel (who was the first non-European nation to sign on) and specifically has been scheduled to run from the beginning of 2007 through 2013: seven years. At no other time in history, as far as I have been able to determine, has such a seven-year agreement, involving Israel (who are Daniel's people: Daniel 9:24), taken place.

I do not believe it is "highly unlikely" at all that the third temple will be built on the temple mount, as long as God—the doer of what appears to be impossible—is involved. In fact, for all we know, any structure(s) presently on the temple mount could be removed—or even destroyed—to make room for the temple.

Here is a miniature model of the third temple, located at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. Under that is an illustration of where they feel the second temple stood, and the third temple should stand, on the temple mount.  It appears as though they feel it will exist where the Dome of the Rock now stands—suggesting, it would seem, that the latter will be destroyed or demolished. Perhaps this could occur due to an earthquake, a midguided missile, or something else.

Look below at the aerial photo and the map of the temple mount:

   

The Dome of the Rock is near the middle; and below that, near the bottom, is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Between them is the Fountain El-Kas, and between the fountain and the Western Wall is a grove of trees. Perhaps those trees could be cleared away to make an area available for the third temple. Viewed over the Western Wall, the trees can be seen a little better in this photo:

I do not know how the construction of the temple will come about. However, one plausible scenario is that the man who eventually will "set himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4) will be the one who, against all odds, will have negotiated a deal between the Jews and the Palestinians, perhaps involving an exchange of land in return for consent to build the temple. The third temple does not need to be standing until midway through the final seven years. If my hypothesis about the European Neighbourhood Policy is correct, then it will be constructed at some point prior to Passover Week 2010 (March 30 through April 6).

The resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ is vitally significant and important to Christians; but these spectacular events mean nothing to the majority of Jews, especially the orthodox Jews at the Temple Institute. The latter is "dedicated to every aspect of the Biblical commandment to build the Holy Temple of G-d on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem" (see the second sentence in the first paragraph at The Temple Institute). Having not recognized Jesus' sacrifice as the once-for-all atonement for humanity's sins, they have a compelling need to return to the ancient Mosaic system of sacrifices and offerings, to do what Messianic Jews and Christians realize that Jesus did on the cross. There even was an attempt, just prior to Passover of 2007, to make a sacrificial offering near the Western Wall:

I do not understand your assumption that the end of the old covenant and temple worship were "confirmed beyond doubt in 70 A.D." It certainly is not confirmed beyond any doubt in my mind. Just because the second temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. does not preclude the eventual construction of a third temple by orthodox Jews. I understand that Preterists WANT the second temple to have been the final temple, to conform to their assertion that a great deal of prophecy already has been fulfilled. However, I can see no rationale in their manner of reasoning, leading to their conjecture that there will be no third temple.

It makes perfect sense to me that God will allow a third temple to be built. Israel has yet to endure the "time of trouble for Jacob" (Jeremiah 30:7). Because Jewish Israel's eyes have been closed and their ears dulled (Isaiah 6:10), they have failed to understand that Jesus is their Messiah. Furthermore, they will have entered into a covenant of death (which very well may have happened when they signed onto the European Neighbourhood Policy); as such, an overwhelming scourge will overtake them (Isaiah 28:15,18).

I see the rebuilding of the third temple as the "breaking of the last straw" of patience that God has maintained for millennia in tolerating Israel's disbelief that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ). I believe that God will allow Israel to rise to the peak of rejecting Jesus—building a temple to revert back to the ancient system of atonement, which Jesus abolished on the cross—as part of His justification for allowing an end-time devastation and destruction of Jerusalem.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 11:1 indicate that the temple is a physical building, not a symbolic representation of the Church, whether in the past or in the future. I am convinced that it will exist in the future.

Just because the Ark of the Covenant has not yet been revealed does not mean that it will not be within the next few years. Even if it is not, that does not necessarily mean that this will stop zealous orthodox Jews, who seem to be unwilling to stop at anything, from rebuilding their temple. It could be, as you suggested, that the Antichrist will set up a new system and will deceive them into accepting it. If they felt that he were their messiah, then they would do anything for him.

Whether or not this is true, it does not rule out the possibility that the Ark of the Covenant still exists somewhere (many claim in Ethiopia, although I have my doubts), nor the possibility that it will be found at the end of the age. The fact that John saw the Ark of the Covenant in heaven at the end of the 70th Week (Revelation 11:19), following the blowing of the seventh trumpet, does not necessarily mean that it is not on the earth now. It just means that it may be taken up into heaven before Jerusalem eventually is attacked and devastated.

Jesus fulfilled the main Spring Jewish feasts and holy days at His first coming: died on Passover, buried during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits, and sent the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot = Pentecost). As such, He is expected to fulfill the Fall Jewish feasts and holy days at His second coming: Rapture on Rosh haShanah, physical descent to earth on Yom Kippur, and being worshiped in Jerusalem by representatives from the nations of the world on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

Rosh haShanah begins at the new moon. Before methods were available to calculate the exact time of each new moon, no one knew the day or hour the new moon would occur until two witnesses, peering into the sky, detected the first tiny sliver of the waxing moon. Upon their announcement, Rosh haShanah officially would begin.

Thus, when Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour [of His return in the clouds]..." (Matthew 24:36), He very likely was making a specific reference to Rosh haShanah. Which Rosh haShanah—only the Father knew (at that time).

Furthermore, Rosh haShanah is observed on two consecutive days. In fact, the trumpet or shofar (ram's horn) is blown on both days. So even if we were to have a reasonable idea of the year of Jesus' aerial appearance, we would not know on which of those two days, nor at what hour, His coming will be.